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Back to Newsletters

General Newsletter - 9 May 2024

Thursday 9th of May 2024

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In this Issue

Welcome from the Chair
Community Input Sought for Community Safety Inquiry
Are You Ready for the 3G Network Switch-Off?
Input Requested from Moree Plains Road Users
Help Shape the Future of Glen Innes Community
Assistance for Students to Access Broadband Internet
IPART Determination Opens Up Regional Opportunities
New Destination NSW Website Provides a Wealth of Information
Featured Grants and Funding Opportunities
What's On in the Northern Inland

Welcome from the Chair

Dear Northern Inlanders,

Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter.

I have always been a strong believer in stepping up and having a say. It is critical to stand up and make our voices heard, to share our unique stories and experiences.

Like many regional areas, communities in our region are facing difficulties with community safety. Although the national media, and click-bait articles may like to have outsiders believe it is an issue with regional living, it is much more than that. Our communities need greater support from the NSW Government, to provide the services and solutions that not only support victims of crime but also proactive initiatives to address the needs of disadvantaged and at-risk youth and adults. Our communities need on-the-ground community-led practical support, not just reports and research by people in Sydney.

The NSW Government Inquiry into regional crime and community safety is needed to have the voice of regional communities heard for positive change. If you have been impacted or have an idea on how your community can be assisted, I encourage you to make a submission to the inquiry and have your voice heard. Without standing up for our communities, we will not be able to obtain the support we need and deserve.

Regards,

Russell Stewart
Chair

Community Input Sought for Community Safety Inquiry

The NSW Government have recently established a regional crime inquiry to ensure communities across Regional NSW have their say on law-and-order issues. The Country Mayors Association of NSW, Local Members and Councils are urging residents to share their experiences and have their say on this critical issue.

Country Mayors Association of NSW Chair and Gunnedah Mayor, Jamie Chaffey, said the statistics showed clearly there were disproportionate crime levels and fewer police resources in regional and rural New South Wales, and it was now up to community members to bring the full extent of the crisis to the attention of the State Government.

“It has been an enormous challenge to make this Inquiry a reality,” Mayor Chaffey said. “This is a great first step and now that we have the attention of our Members of Parliament, it is up to us all to make sure that we are sharing our lived experience and any suggestions we have about how to stop the severity and instances of crime. We also need to make it clear that there is a real need for adequate support for both victims and perpetrators that will lead to a safer community. We need to share the importance of pro-active policing, a change that can only happen with an increase in police numbers.”

“Whether you have been impacted by crime, know someone who has, whether you work or have previously worked in related services, or come from another state or country that has implemented great working strategies, you need to make your voice heard.” Jamie said.

Member for Tamworth, Kevin Anderson, highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to the issues. "Our community has a right to feel safe in our homes and a recent rise in youth crime has taken that right away from many in our community,” said Member for Tamworth, Kevin Anderson. “The inquiry will examine the root causes of youth crime, recidivism rates, as well as wraparound and diversionary services available for young people and their families.”

Member for the Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshal encouraged community members to make their voice heard. “… it’s important that we mobilise now, and create real momentum towards achieving meaningful outcomes for the regions,” said Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall. “And that’s where our local communities come in; I’m encouraging anyone who would like to tell their story and contribute to this important initiative, to make your voice count by lodging a submission to the inquiry.”

Submissions to the inquiry must be completed by Friday the 31st of May, and further information about the inquiry is available on the NSW Parliament website. The Crime, Law and Order report by the Country Mayors Association of NSW is available on their website.

Are You Ready for the 3G Network Switch-Off?

Since 2019, mobile network operators have been preparing to switch off their 3G networks, to boost the capacity, speed and reliability of their 4G and 5G networks. Mobile operators are estimating that up to 740,000 handsets could potentially be impacted by this change.

Telstra will be switching off their 3G network from the 31st of August this year, followed by Optus from the 1st of September. TPG Telecom and Vodaphone have already switched off their 3G network.

This switch-off will not only impact users of 3G devices, but also some 4G devices may be unable to make any voice calls. There is also a subset of 4G devices that may continue to operate for voice calls and data but will not be able to make Triple Zero calls. Older 4G devices and devices that are purchased overseas are particularly at risk. The Australian Government is urging that users do not call Tripple Zero to test their phones, as it may prevent people from accessing life-saving support.

Service providers are making efforts to contact customers with devices that may be impacted, but it is advisable to be proactive and seek advice on whether your device may be impacted and the steps you will need to take to stay connected.

Information on the types of devices that may be impacted can be found on the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (ATMA) website. Your mobile service provider is also well-placed to provide you with support, and further information on the 3G network switch off can be found on the websites for Telstra, Optus and Vodaphone/TPG.

Input Requested from Moree Plains Road Users

Like many regional Local Government Areas, the Moree Plains Shire has a vast road network, which requires significant upkeep with limited resources.

Moree Plains Shire are asking for input from users of their roads to guide them in making informed decisions regarding which roads should receive priority attention for maintenance, improvement and/or investment.

With the launch of their Roads Prioritisation Program, community members have an opportunity to participate in six location-based surveys to give feedback that will assist us in creating a safer road network.

Director of Infrastructure for Moree Plains Shire Council, John Dyer welcomes responses from the community, explaining, "It is the residents of the Shire that have the local knowledge of their roads and the issues that affect the road networks, particularly in times of natural disasters. This local knowledge, combined with a scientific approach using digital road traffic data from Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will give an holistic approach to long-term road asset management. Participation in the surveys will help us better understand, enabling us to plan and provide maintenance, upgrades or improved roads in priority order”.

To contribute to how they prioritise and allocate resources to our road network, they are asking road users to provide feedback on the roads they use most regularly, and completion of more than one location-based survey is welcomed. The six road prioritisation surveys are:

The surveys will close on Friday the 31st of May, and further information can be found on the Road Prioritisation page of the Council’s website. Note that this page may not load in a Firefox browser.
If you would like to contribute further comments, images or videos, these can be submitted by email to Moree Plains Shire Council at roads@mpsc.nsw.gov.au

Help Shape the Future of Glen Innes Community

Glen Innes Severn Council is seeking input from community members as part of their Towards 2034 consultation, which will help shape the future of their community.

Through this consultation, Council aims to guide the community through vital discussions concerning the primary aspirations and priorities for our local government area over the next decade, ultimately resulting in the formulation of a comprehensive Community Strategic Plan; something every Council undertakes every four years.

Glen Innes Severn Council General Manager Bernard Smith said he is looking forward to hearing what the community has to say. "Through collaborative efforts with our residents, Council aims to develop a Community Strategic Plan that reflects the diverse needs and aspirations of our community, ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for generations to come," he said. “Towards 2034 seeks to shape the future of the community by posing key questions to residents, ensuring that the Community Strategic Plan accurately represents their vision and values. Our residents' input is invaluable in shaping the future direction of the Glen Innes Severn area, and I encourage everyone to participate actively in this survey."

The Towards 2034 community consultation will commence with an online survey that can until Friday the 17th of May. Hard copies are available at both Council Administration offices (Town Hall and Church Street), Visitor Information Centre, the Glen Innes Public & TAFE Library and the three village Australia Post locations at, Deepwater, Emmaville and Glencoe.

Council have also been hosting a series of pop-up stalls for community members to share their thoughts, with the last one to be held later this week, on the 9th of May at the Town Hall from 10-11am.

Further information about the Towards 2034 project can be found on the Glen Innes Severn Council’s Have Your Say platform.

Assistance for Students to Access Broadband Internet

To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government is providing up to 30,000 eligible families with no internet at home a free National Broadband Network (nbn) service. The Australian Government invested an additional $4.3 million to extend the School Student Broadband Initiative, which now means free nbn internet service for all new families that take up the offer until 31 December 2025.

To be eligible your family must:

Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindy in NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT/ACT and Pre-Primary in WA).
Not have an active nbn Internet service at home. Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility.
Live in a premises that can access the nbn via a standard connection – this will be checked for you.
Not have had an active nbn connection during the previous 14 days.

You can check your eligibility and access the program, by following these simple steps:

Contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm) or by visiting the Anglicare Victoria website.
The National Referral Centre team will then help assess your eligibility for the SSBI, by checking several things including your residential address and current financial situation.
If eligible, you will be issued a voucher which can be redeemed at any of the participating SSBI retail service providers.
If further assistance is required, the National Referral Centre will also be available to assist with contacting your SSBI retail service provider of choice and providing follow-up support.

Further information on the School Student Broadband Initiative is available from the Australian Government and nbn Co.

IPART Determination Opens Up Regional Opportunities

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has welcomed a decision by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), which will allow the Port of Newcastle to be unshackled with a $13 million one-off payment to the State.

Mr Marshall said it was terrific news for the region and would mean the new container terminal at the Port of Newcastle could proceed, allowing for hundreds of millions of dollars of extra investment and export opportunities.

“This is brilliant news for our region and one of the final hurdles the Port had to jump over to get the green light to build a container terminal,” Mr Marshall said. “Our grain growers have a gateway to world markets on their doorstep, and with IPART’s determination today, it will mean the Port of Newcastle is well and truly opened for business. Establishing a new container terminal at the Port of Newcastle has the potential of cutting the cost of grain rail freight by $16 to $22 per tonne, putting huge dollars back into the pockets of growers and the local economy.”

Mr Marshall said the push by industry to unlock the Port was spearheaded by Independent Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper, with his bill, The Port of Newcastle (Extinguishment of Liability) Bill 2022. “This bill was crucial to finally break the impediments placed on the Newcastle Port and was considered in IPART’s determination,” he said. “When the Port of Newcastle was privatised in 2014, a Port Commitments Deed required the operators to reimburse the State Government for any compensation paid to the operators of Kembla and Botany. These provisions made establishing a container terminal and increasing capacity at the Port of Newcastle unviable – until now.”

Further information on IPART’s determination, including the process that was undertaken and the associated information paper can be found on their website.

New Destination NSW Website Provides a Wealth of Information

Destination NSW has launched a new corporate website that provides a dynamic digital hub for visitor economy stakeholders seeking the latest research, information, tools, and resources to support their growth.

The state-of-the-art platform caters to the needs of its diverse community of users with data and insights on visitors and markets; training, resources and other business support via the NSW First Program; a newsroom featuring media releases and updates; information on major event investment, industry, and business events; and the latest marketing campaigns and partner toolkits.

"The NSW Government's Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 envisions our state as the leading visitor economy in the Asia-Pacific, targeting $65 billion in visitor expenditure by 2030.” said Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox. “To achieve this goal, digital innovation is paramount and Destination NSW has a steadfast commitment to leveraging technology for seamless government and industry interactions, ensuring quicker and easier access to news, statistics and insights linked to the visitor economy.”

“The new corporate website, designed to provide an engaging user experience, improved search functionalities and mobile responsiveness positions Destination NSW to be adaptable and forward-thinking during the momentum phase of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 and in turn ensure NSW achieves its targets and goals for visitor expenditure.”

Key features of the new Destination NSW corporate website include:

Modern and intuitive user experience and design
A highly responsive search functionality, making it easy to surface reports, articles and related content.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA compliance
Industry leading data security through secure, cloud-based systems.
Subscription function to Destination NSW’s weekly visitor economy newsletter, Insights

Featured Grants and Funding Opportunities

Below are some featured grants and funding opportunities from the multitude of open grants listed in the Grants and Funding Opportunities area of our website. Our website is updated weekly with new listings and updates and all are applicable to our region, so it is a great resource if you are looking for funding for a specific project.

You can also sign up to our Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities and the Community Grants and Award Programs newsletters through the simple form located on the left-hand side of our website: www.rdani.org.au, to receive monthly summaries of currently open grants.

Heywire Youth Innovation Grants
Closes: 29th of May 2024
Value: Up to $10,000
Run By: Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal

he FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grant program helps communities take action on ideas generated by young Australians on issues that matter to remote, rural and regional youth. The Heywire Project Ideas are developed annually at the Heywire Youth Summit in Canberra.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for communities to act on these issues by either adopting or adapting the project ideas for 2024. That might include implementing the idea as developed by the Heywire Youth or by adapting it to respond to the issue the project idea seeks to address with an initiative that meets the needs of young people in your community.

The 2024 Heywire issues impacting young Australians are:

Bussin’: more accessible transport options for young people
MEE (Mentoring Educating Empowering): accessing quality education
A Place for You: improve accessibility to mental health services
The Bigger Picture: celebrating individual differences and fostering connections
Safe Sphere:relevant and comprehensive sexual education for young people
Youth 2 Grassroots: fostering a culture of environmental protection and stewardship

On Farm Connectivity Program
Closes: 31st of May 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: $3,000 to $30,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

The On Farm Connectivity Program (the program) will run over 2 years from 2023-24 to 2024-25. The program is an election commitment announced as part of Labor’s Plan for a Better Future. This program forms part of the Better Connectivity for Rural and Regional Australia Plan (Better Connectivity Plan) and assists primary producers to take advantage of digital agribusiness solutions to boost productivity and improve safety.

The objectives of the program are:

extend digital connectivity and take advantage of advanced farming technology
enhance a primary producers’ capacity to implement digital agribusiness solutions through improved connectivity
capitalise on the agricultural sector’s potential for increased productivity and growth
support access to new communications equipment by offsetting some of the cost.

White Rock Wind Farm Community Fund - Major Projects 2024
Closes: 7th of June 2024 - 4:30 pm
Value: Up to and over $100,000
Run By: White Rock Wind Farm

White Rock Wind Farm Community Fund aims to share the benefits of White Rock Wind Farm by investing in the communities around the wind farm (50km). The Funds are intended to provide financial support for community-based initiatives, projects and events that produce lasting community benefit and reflect local priorities.

A total of $202,946.35 is available for projects across a range of community activities and interests, such as environmental, social, cultural, and educational.

NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards - 2024
Closes: 14th of June 2024 - 5:00 pm
Run By: The Centre for Volunteering

The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are an annual program aimed at recognising the incredible dedication, effort and community service of our state’s volunteers, volunteer leaders and volunteer teams. The Awards program has grown to become one of the largest celebrations of volunteering in Australia.

Small Business Skills and Training Boost
Closes: 30th of June 2024
Value: Additional 20% tax deduction on eligible expenditure
Run By: Australian Taxation Office

Small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million will be allowed an additional 20% tax deduction for external training courses delivered to employees by registered training providers.

The expenditure must be:

for the provision of training to employees of your business, either in-person in Australia, or online
charged, directly or indirectly, by a registered external training provider that is not you or an associate of yours
already deductible for your business under taxation law
incurred within a specified period (between 7:30 pm AEDT or by legal time in the ACT on 29 March 2022 and 30 June 2024).

The bonus deduction is available for expenditure for the provision of training to one or more employees of your business. The training provider must meet certain registration criteria for the bonus deduction.

EV Destination Charging Grants - Round 2
Closes: 2nd of August 2024 - 5:00 pm
Value: Variable amount dependent on application
Run By: NSW Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

This grant assists eligible regional NSW businesses and councils by co-funding the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at your site.

The NSW Government’s objectives of the grants are to:

Overcome range anxiety and help to create a world-class EV charging network
support destinations across regional NSW to be EV-ready
support the growth of the NSW visitor economy and the ability to cater for an increasing number of EV drivers.

Round 2 of the EV destination charging grants will fund a portion of: